With stories of 30 amazing contemporary Indian women, this book looks

at what shaped them, the challenges they faced, the influences they had, the

choices they made and how they negotiated around or broke the boundaries

that sought to confine them, either through society or circumstance. From

diverse backgrounds, different generations, they have risen through sheer

grit, determination, bolstered with passion, and are, today, names to look

up to, to hold out as examples to the next generation of young women and

girls, giving them courage to reach out to their dreams. From politics to

sport, from the creative and performing arts to cinema and television, from

business leaders to scientists, legal luminaries and more, this book features

the stories of these much celebrated, fabulous women: Sushma Swaraj, Sheila

Dikshit, Fathima Beevi, Mahasweta Devi, Amrita Sher-Gil, Amrita Pritam,

Sonal Mansingh, Lata Mangeshkar, Anita Desai, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Harita

Kaur Deol, Madhuri Dixit, Bachendri Pal, Rekha, Chhavi Rajawat, Karnam

Malleswari, Shailaja Teacher, Hima Das, Naina Lal Kidwai, Shakuntala

Devi, P.T. Usha, P.V. Sindhu, Ekta Kapoor, Kiran Bedi, Mary Kom, Menaka

Guruswamy, Tessy Thomas, Aparna Sen, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Gayatri

Devi, among others.